Hatif Janabi (born 1952) is an Iraqi poet, translator and author. Born near

Babylon ''Bābili(m)'' * sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 * arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel'' * syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel'' * grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn'' * he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel'' * peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru'' * elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...

in 1952, he studied Arabic language and literature at

Baghdad University The University of Baghdad (UOB) ( ar, جامعة بغداد ''Jāmi'at Baghdād'') is the largest university in Iraq, tenth largest in the Arab world, and the largest university in the Arab world outside Egypt. Nomenclature Both University ...

. He moved to

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

in 1976 for higher studies, eventually obtaining a master's degree in Polish language and literature and a PhD in drama, both from

Warsaw University The University of Warsaw ( pl, Uniwersytet Warszawski, la, Universitas Varsoviensis) is a public university in Warsaw, Poland. Established in 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country offering 37 different fields of ...

. He has lived in Poland ever since and now teaches Arabic language and literature at Warsaw University. He has also taught at the

University of Tizi Ouzou The Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi Ouzou ( ber, ⵝⴰⵙⴷⴰⵓⵉⵝ ⵎⵓⵏⵓⴷ ⴰⵝⵎⴷⴰⵟⵙ; french: Université Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi Ouzou) is a university in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria. It is named after Mouloud Mammeri. As of ...

and

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

. Janabi has published several collections of poetry, and his work has been translated into many languages including Polish, English, French, German, Spanish and Russian. A volume of his poems in English translation was published by the

University of Arkansas Press The University of Arkansas Press is a university press that is part of the University of Arkansas and has been a member of the Association of University Presses since 1984. Its mission is to publish peer-reviewed books and academic journals. It wa ...

in 1996 under the title ''Questions and their Retinue''. The translator

Khaled Mattawa Khaled Mattawa (born 1964) is a Libyan poet, and a renowned Arab-American writer, he is also a leading literary translator, focusing on translating Arabic poetry into English. He works as an Assistant professor of creative writing at the Univers ...

won the Arkansas Arabic Translation Award for this work. Janabi is also known as one of the principal translators of

Polish literature Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. Most Polish literature has been written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland over the centuries have also contributed to Polish literary traditions, including Latin, ...

into the Arabic language. He has translated some of the most important Polish writers, among them

Adam Mickiewicz Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (; 24 December 179826 November 1855) was a Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator and political activist. He is regarded as national poet in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. A principal figure in Polish Ro ...

, Czeslaw Miłosz, Wislawa Szymborska,

Juliusz Słowacki Juliusz Słowacki (; french: Jules Slowacki; 4 September 1809 – 3 April 1849) was a Polish Romantic poet. He is considered one of the "Three Bards" of Polish literature — a major figure in the Polish Romantic period, and the father of mode ...

Zbigniew Herbert Zbigniew Herbert (; 29 October 1924 – 28 July 1998) was a Polish poet, essayist, drama writer and moralist. He is one of the best known and the most translated post-war Polish writers. While he was first published in the 1950s (a volume title ...

Tadeusz Różewicz Tadeusz Różewicz (9 October 1921 – 24 April 2014) was a Polish poet, playwright, writer, and translator. Różewicz was in the first generation of Polish writers born after Poland regained its independence in 1918, following the century of f ...

Stanisław Grochowiak Stanisław Antoni Grochowiak, pen-name "Kain" (24 January 1934 – 2 September 1976) was a Polish poet and dramatist. His is often classified as a representative of turpism (Polish: turpizm), because of his interest in the physical, ugly and br ...

Adam Zagajewski Adam Zagajewski (21 June 1945 – 21 March 2021) was a Polish poet, novelist, translator, and essayist. He was awarded the 2004 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize Lifetime Recognition Award, the 2017 Princ ...

Edward Stachura Edward Stachura (18 August 1937 – 24 July 1979) was a Polish poet, writer and translator. He rose to prominence in the 1960s, receiving prizes for both poetry and prose. His literary output includes four volumes of poetry, three collections o ...

, Rafał Wojaczek,

Ryszard Kapuściński Ryszard Kapuściński (; 4 March 1932 – 23 January 2007) was a Polish journalist, photographer, poet and author. He received many awards and was considered a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Kapuściński's personal journals in bo ...

and

Leszek Kołakowski Leszek Kołakowski (; ; 23 October 1927 – 17 July 2009) was a Polish philosopher and historian of ideas. He is best known for his critical analyses of Marxist thought, especially his three-volume history, '' Main Currents of Marxism'' (1976). ...

.Profile in Visegrad Summer School website
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Janabi, Hatif 21st-century Iraqi poets Iraqi translators 1952 births Living people University of Baghdad alumni University of Warsaw alumni Academic staff of the University of Warsaw Indiana University faculty 20th-century Iraqi poets